Walter johstsobt



' w. JOHNSON;

TOY AEROPLANE. APPLlCATION FILED FEB. s, 1919.

' Patented July 29, 1919.

Inverfior A ffDK/ZE arena carton.

WALTER JOHNSON, OF MIDDLE-TOWN, comc'rrcur- TOY anaornann Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed February 6, 1919. Serial No. 275,368.

To all whom it may concern Be it'known that I, WALTER JOHNSON, citizen of the United States, residing at Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toy Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of a tractor aeroplane of the biplane, heavier than air, type which is designed for the amusement of carried in the hand, flown as a kite or pro vided with a light spring or elastic motor for rotating the air screw and imparting a short flight.

The object of the invention is to provide a very simple and cheap toy of this character which ma folded for packing and transportation and instantly unfolded and'locked in erect shape.

This object is attained by blanking the parts of pieces of cardboard or the like sheet material which is thin and somewhat rigid,

and fitting the pieces together and interlock-- ing them in such manner that they will collapse and fold fiat for packing in a'n'envelop and unfold for use without disconnecting of the toy collapsed. Fig. 5 shows a front view of the toy opened and with the air screw omitted.

' In constructing this device two pieces of cardboard or other thin, stiff, Sheet material are each cut to approximate the outlines of the fuselage 1, nose 2, shock absorbin or under carriage 3 tail 4, tail skid 5, tai l fin 6 and rudder These, forming the side pieces, are arranged edgewise a little distance apart and are connected across the top of the fuselage by the top main plane 8 and lower down by thebottom main plane 9, which planes are cut from thin, stiff, sheet material. The leading edges and trailing edges of the planes are notched and fitted into notches in the edges of the pieces forming the sides of the fuselage, the planes being a little wider than the spaces into which they are fitted so that they will be cambered when in place. At the tail the side pieces children and. which may be be readily collapsed and i and may be locked in erectare connected by a piece of sheet material cut to approximate the shape of fiat tail planes 10, this piece passing flatwise through slots and being notched on its leading ed e to prevent its removal when in place. t the nose the side pieces are connected by ahorizontal nose plane 11 of'sheet' material which passes through slots in the side pieces and is notched on its leading edge to prevent its removal. The-nose plane has two perforations 12 and threaded through these is a pin 13 which forms the shaft of the air screw 14. The air screw is desirably out from a single piece of sheet material to approximate shape and folded on itself at the middle to give the required pitch to the blades.

In the middle of the top main plane is a perforation 15 and in the middle of the bottom main plane is a perforation 16. Located between the planes with its apex 17 projecting through the perforation in the top plane and a stem 18 extended through the perforation in the bottom plane is a triangular king-post or bracing strut 19.

-When the planes are separated or opened and this king-post is turned parallel with the longitudinal axis of the planes or transversely of the side pieces, the lower edge of the triangle rests upon the bottom plane and the apex of the triangle engages the walls of the perforation in the top plane in such manner that the planes cannot be closed together, and when the planes are so held the whole structure is locked open and in erect shape. When the king-post is turned transversely of the planes and parallel with the side pieces, the planes may be folded together and with the folding of the planes the whole structure collapses and folds fiat so that it may be readily packed in an envelop. The machine illustrated consists of but eight pieces of cardboard which are so pieces they may be folded together flatwise or opened apart, and means for locking the pieces in opened relation.

2. A toy aeroplane having a fuselage formed of flat side pieces of sheet material, with main, nose and tail planes of sheet material jointed to the side pieces so that the parts without disjointing may be folded upon each other flatwise or opened apart, and means for holding the main planes separated and maintaining the parts in opened relation.

3.'A toy aeroplane made of thin, stiff, sheet material having side pieces, main planes connecting the side pieces, a plane connecting the side pieces at the nose, a plane connecting, the side pieces at the tail, and adjustable means for retaining the main planes separated.

i. A toy aeroplane made of thin, stiff, sheet material having side pieces, cambered main planes extending across and jointed to the side pieces, a horizontal plane extend-- ing across and jointed t0 the side pieces at the nose, a horizontal plane extending acro$ and jointed to the side pieces at the tail, and means for retaining the main planes separated and parallel.

5. A toy aeroplane having a fuselage, main, nose and tail planes cut from thin,

stiff, sheetmaterial jointed so that they may be folded fiat or opened apart, and atriangular bracing strut connecting the main planes and adapted when turned to one posi tion to hold the planes apart and when turned to another position to permit the planes to fold together.

6. A toy aeroplane having a fuselage with nose, under carriage tail, tail fins and rudders formed of two sheets of cardboard cut to shape, a pair of main planes extending across and notched into the fuselage, a horizontal plane extending across and notched into the nose, a. horizontal plane extending across and notched into the tail, a triangular king-post connecting the main planes and retaining them apart when in one position and allowing them to collapse when in an"- other position, and an air screw carried by the nose plane.

7. A toy aeroplane formed of pieces of cardboard notched into each other and adapted to be folded together and opened apart without disengagement, and a piece of cardboard adjustably arranged between the pieces and shaped to lock the pieces opened or permit them to be folded together fiatwise, according to the position to which said locking piece is adjusted.

WALTER JOHNSON. 

